poynte this proude page a place and a rome,
For Jak wold be a jentylman, that late was a grome.
Jak wold jet, and yet Jyll sayd nay;
He counteth in his countenaunce to checke with the best:
A malaperte medler that pryeth for his pray,
In a dysh dare he rush at the rypest;
Dremyng in dumpys to wrangyll and to wrest:
He fyndeth a proporcyon in his prycke songe,
To drynk at a draught a larg and a long.
Nay, iape not with hym, he is no small fole, 50
It is a solemnpne syre and a solayne;
For lordes and ladyes lerne at his scole;
He techyth them so wysely to solf and to fayne,
That neyther they synge wel prycke songe nor playne:
Thys docter Deuyas[218] commensyd in a cart,
A master, a mynstrell, a fydler, a farte.
What though ye can cownter Custodi nos?
As well it becomyth yow, a parysh towne clarke,
To syng Sospitati[219] dedit ægros:
Yet bere ye not to bold, to braule ne to bark 60
At me, that medeled nothyng with youre wark:
Correct fyrst thy self; walk, and be nought!
Deme what thou lyst, thou knowyst not my thought.
A prouerbe of old, say well or be styll:
Ye are to vnhappy occasyons[220] to fynde
Vppon me to clater, or els to say yll.
Now haue I shewyd you part of your proud mynde;
Take thys in worth, the best is behynde.
Wryten at Croydon by Crowland in the Clay,
On Candelmas euyn, the Kalendas of May. 70
[215] Skelton Laureate, &c.] This poem, and the three pieces which follow it, are given from a tract of four leaves, n. d., and without printer’s name (but evidently from the press of Pynson), collated with Marshe’s ed. of Skelton’s Workes, 1568.
[216] they] So Marshe’s ed. Pynson’s ed. “the.”
[217] syn] Marshe’s ed. “sins.”
[218] Deuyas] Marshe’s ed. “dellias.”
[219] Sospitati] Pynson’s ed. “suspirari.” Marshe’s ed. “Supitati,” which the editor of 1736 changed into “supinitati.”
[220] occasyons] Marshe’s ed. “occasion.”
CONTRA ALIUM CANTITANTEM ET ORGANISANTEM ASINUM, QUI IMPUGNABAT SKELTONIDA PIERIUM, SARCASMOS.
Præponenda meis non sunt tua plectra camenis,
Nec quantum nostra fistula clara tua est:
Sæpe licet lyricos modularis arundine psalmos,
Et tremulos calamis concinis ipse modos;
Quamvis mille tuus digitus dat carmine plausus,
Nam tua quam tua vox est mage docta manus;
Quamvis cuncta facis tumida sub mente superbus,
Gratior est Phæbo fistula nostra tamen.
Ergo tuum studeas animo deponere fastum,
Et violare sacrum desine, stulte, virum.
Qd[221] Skelton, laureat.
[221] Qd, &c.] Not in Marshe’s ed.
SKELTON LAUREAT,
Vppon a deedmans hed, that was sent to hym from an honorable jentyllwoman for a token, deuysyd this gostly medytacyon in Englysh, couenable in sentence, comendable, lamentable, lacrymable, profytable for the soule.
Youre vgly tokyn
My mynd hath brokyn
From worldly lust;
For I haue dyscust
We ar but dust,
And dy we must.
It is generall
To be mortall:
I haue well espyde
No man may hym hyde 10
From Deth holow eyed,
With synnews wyderyd,
With bonys shyderyd,
With hys worme etyn maw,
And his gastly jaw
Gaspyng asyde,
Nakyd of hyde,
Neyther flesh nor[222] fell.
Then, by my councell,
Loke that ye spell 20
Well thys gospell:
For
